


Then Again, Maybe I Won't

by orphan_account



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Coming of Age, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Neighbors, based off a prompt (sort of)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 12:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2067384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So, it was safe to say that they were very, very close friends. Brothers, even.<br/>But lately, things had been different. The boys were nearing the end of high school, and things had changed. They still lived next to each other, and still saw each other in school. But they had new friends, and weren’t quite as close as they used to be.<br/>That wasn’t the only reason Michael felt uncomfortable thinking of Calum as his brother...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Then Again, Maybe I Won't

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LyricalPary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalPary/gifts).



> ...Surprise? I saw a post on tumblr (http://mpregashton.tumblr.com/post/92193536270/malum-neighbors-au-where-cal-mikey-live-next), and decided to write something based off of it. It's not very well written, but I hope you enjoy it despite this.
> 
> The title is from a Judy Blume book which also happens to involve people watching other people through the windows across from them.

Calum and Michael had been friends for a while now. A while being an entire decade.

To some people it may not seem that long, but to them, it was more than half of their lives. They had met in primary school during year 2, and had instantly bonded. But not only that, they also lived conveniently right next door to each other. They didn’t only see each other at school, but often at each other’s houses. They had visited each other pretty much daily; to do homework, chat, play video games, and simply entertain each other. They would constantly play in each other’s backyards, considering that all one of them had to do is climb over the fence, and they would be in the other’s backyard. They used to sneak outside and sleep in the backyard under the stars where there was little light pollution. They would also talk to each other through their windows, which were also right across from each other. One time, Michael almost fell out of his when he was trying to hear what Calum was saying. From then on, they talked by writing and drawing pictures on paper, and showing the other what they had written. They had pretty much lived their whole lives beside each other.

They went well together, considering that they were both quite different. Michael was loud and eccentric. He lived life on the edge. He started dying his hair when he was around sixteen and didn’t really seem to stop. He wasn’t too fond of his natural, boring, dirty blonde hair color. His hair was only one of the reasons why he was such a cool, creative, free spirit.

There was a period of time where he was quite secluded, and stayed in his room playing video games. He wasn’t really sure why, but during this time, Calum stayed his friend. Calum would still sneak into his room to join him and play video games with him. Michael enjoyed the company of course. And eventually, with Calum’s help, he managed to break out of his shell.

Calum was athletic and musical. He enjoyed singing and playing guitar, but he wanted a career in soccer. Unlike Michael, he wasn’t an only child, and had a sister. He was also a bit quiet and shy at times, yet also had a more outgoing side.

So, it was safe to say that they were very, very close friends. Brothers, even.

But lately, things had been different. The boys were nearing the end of high school, and things had changed. They still lived next to each other, and still saw each other in school. But they had new friends, and weren’t quite as close as they used to be. That wasn’t the only reason Michael felt uncomfortable thinking of Calum as his brother.

Michael had started to notice things he never had about Calum, and started to think of him in ways he never had before. Ways that would be considered wrong if Calum and Michael were actually brothers.

Calum was a very athletic person, which naturally, gave him a very athletic build. Michael knew that Calum did squats on a daily basis, giving him toned thighs and a nicely shaped ass. He also did sit ups, giving him a toned stomach and chest. He pretty much looked like an ancient Greek statue, and Michael wouldn’t know this if he hadn’t been spying on him through his window. He wouldn’t be able to admit the fact that Calum was hot, and he had puberty to thank for this in addition to exercise.

Before Calum had hit puberty, he had been quite a skinny kid. Luke, who was now Michael’s friend (and whom he hated for no reason during his time of secludedness) had said that, as a chubby kid, he had been quite jealous of Calum’s slim figure. But now that Calum was eighteen, he wasn’t just skin and bones. He was muscle too. He had gotten a few tattoos as well on his arms and one on his chest, which made him even hotter.

So when Michael would be in his room playing video games or doing homework, and would happen to see Calum through his window out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but look. Sometimes, he would see Calum prancing around his room in only his boxers, and once, he saw Calum stark naked from behind. After this, Michael immediately closed his curtains, and saved the image for later.

It was weird wasn’t it? The windows that used to be used for communicating with someone who he had thought of as a brother were now used for spying on someone that he was clearly now interested in and aroused by, in a non brotherly way. He had seen Calum nude multiple times when he was young, and didn’t react to it at all. And now...well, it wasn’t his fault that Calum never shut his damn curtains. Michael mine as well buy a pair of binoculars and call himself a stalker.

Did Calum know what he was doing to Michael? Did he have any idea that Michael saw him through his curtains, and thought of him the way he did? If he did, he certainly didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t close his curtains, or notice Michael watching.

Did this mean Michael was gay? Michael hadn’t really given it any thought. He had dated and liked girls in the past. He still did. But, he was blatantly sexually attracted to a cis male, so he couldn’t really call himself heterosexual anymore.

These were the thoughts that were running through Michael’s head as he sat at the desk by his window doing homework that he had absolutely no interest in. When he got bored and looked out his window, he happened to see Calum walk into his room, sweaty from soccer practice.

He put his bag down by his door and slipped off his cleats. He then turned around and very slowly took off his soccer shirt. Michael watched the way the muscles in his strong back and his beautiful biceps flexed as he pulled the shirt off his body. He then saw Calum grip the waistband of his soccer shorts and pull them down and Michael wanted to look away so badly but he just couldn’t.

He nearly stopped breathing when Calum turned toward his window and saw Michael staring at him. Michael was frozen in his seat, and his eyes widened. He expected Calum to make a face and forcefully pull draw his curtains, but all Calum did was wink seductively and leave his room (presumably to take a shower).

At that moment, Michael realized that Calum knew exactly what he did to Michael. Had he been pretending not to notice all this time? Clearly, he didn’t mind, and perhaps enjoyed the thought of Michael watching him.

But wouldn’t Calum still consider Michael to be nothing but a close friend?

* * *

 

The next day at dinner, Michael’s mom asked him when the last time he had hung out with Calum was, and why they were no longer friends.

“We’re still friends,” replied Michael. “We just don’t talk as much, is all.”

“You should invite him over,” said his mom. “Or, knock on his door tomorrow and see what he’s doing. It’s a saturday, after all.”

* * *

 

That was how Michael found himself at Calum’s door the next day, nervously knocking. He heard footsteps behind the door, before he saw Calum open it.

“Michael!” exclaimed Calum, before he pulled Michael into a hug. Michael had always thought that Calum had lovely strong arms and hands, so having them wrapped around him was something out of a dream.

“What are you doing here?” asked Calum, pulling away from the hug.

Michael thought it would sound rude if he said his mom had told him to stop by, so he simply replied “I don’t know, we haven’t seen each other in a while, I thought I should stop in and say hello,” with a shrug.

“Well, now that I’ve done that, I guess I’ll be off.” Michael had expected this to be awkward, and wanted to avoid the awkwardness. He started walking away before he felt Calum’s hand on his waist, turning him around.

“Are you kidding? Stay! It’s a saturday and I’m lonely. I’ve also been wanting to see you.” And with that, the two walked inside.

It turns out that it wasn’t awkward at all. Sure, there was some rather sexual tension in the room after all those stripping window escapades, but the boys spent their time together playing video games and catching up on each other’s lives.

Michael swore as he lost at FIFA for the second time in the row, and Calum cheered for his victory before sitting back down. But to Michael’s surprise, he didn’t do anything. He just sat there for a moment. Michael decided to speak up.

“Cal?” Calum’s head turned towards his. He gulped. “You look nice. I mean, you’ve been looking pretty good lately. Not that you didn’t look good before, but...Yeah. Just thought I’d let you know.”

Calum grinned and ruffled Michael’s hair. “You haven’t been looking so bad yourself. Except for that balding head of yours.” Michael rolled his eyes as Calum laughed, and gave him a playful punch to the shoulder.

“Are there any girls you like, or any girlfriends you have?” This question took Michael by surprise, considering they hadn’t really discussed that before. He shook his head.

“Any boys?” Michael once again shook his head.

“You?”

Calum sighed. “I think I like the girl next door. I see her through her window sometimes, ours are right across from each other.”

Michael didn’t know if this was a joke or not, but if it wasn’t, he certainly didn’t know who this girl was. As far as he knew, there weren’t any girls there age living around there. Nevertheless, he decided to dismiss the topic. They played some more video games before saying goodbye.

* * *

 

The next night, Michael was at his desk playing a computer game. He was about to shut it and get some rest when he spotted movement from Calum’s window.

Calum was dancing to a song Michael couldn’t hear. Calum had always been a decent dancer, whereas Michael was quite an awkward one. But Michael could admit that Calum had moves.

Calum spun around and spotted Michael. Michael was caught by surprised, and nearly panicked but stopped when he saw Calum smirk and turn around again, shaking his hips sexually. Calum knew exactly what he was doing.

Michael would take it as a joke if the situation was different, and if Calum didn’t grip the hem of his shirt and start very slowly removing it, dragging it up his back as his muscles flexed, like he had that one day after soccer practice, but much more seductively. He turned back toward Michael as he threw his shirt somewhere, and ran his hands down his torso before reaching the waistband of his sweatpants.

Calum was literally putting on a strip show for Michael, and needless to say, Michael was enjoying it. Calum’s muscles and tan skin were a bit too much to handle. Calum slowly pulled down his sweatpants before stepping out of them, and blowing Michael a kiss. He shut the curtains.

Michael wasn’t quite as tired as he had been. Now, he was more turned on than tired. He wondered if Calum expected him to return the favor; expected him to put on a show as well. But right now, Calum’s curtains were closed, and he had other matters to tend to. He was undeniably, and visibly aroused.

* * *

 

The next day, Calum looked out his window to find Calum’s curtains drawn. However, he was surprised to see a sign taped to the window.

On a piece of paper in black sharpie the words “Just ask me out already” with a smiley face were written.

Michael knew what he had to do.

* * *

 

The very next afternoon, he knocked on Calum’s door once again. This time his sister answered, saying that Calum was up in his room.

Michael walked upstairs to Calum’s room, and opened the door. All Calum was doing was lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling, but he looked over when he heard Michael come in.

“Hey,” he said.

“What are you even doing?” asked Michael curiously.

Calum smiled. “Chilling, relaxing, having some leisure time. It’s good to just think sometimes.”

Michael agreed, and walked over to sit beside Calum on his bed. “I got your sign. The one you put on your window.”

Calum looked to his window. “Oh yeah, it’s still there.” Michael noticed that he sounded slightly nervous.

“Was the sign directed towards me? I mean, was it for me?” He asked.

“There’s only one bedroom across from mine, Mikey.”

“But what about the girl next door you mentioned?”

Calum sighed. “I mean, you’re not a girl, but you do live next door. I think I described you well enough.”

Michael decided to lay down, and wrap his arms around Calum while he nuzzled his neck with his nose. “Would this be a weird time to ask you out?”

Calum’s fingers lightly ran up and down Michael’s arms. “By now, any time would be a good time to ask me out. I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that for months; years, even.”

“Is that a yes?”

Calum looked over at Michael and smiled. “It’s good enough.”

Michael snuggled closer and sighed.

“I saw you a few times from my bedroom window in various states of undress. I hadn’t known you were watching until you properly put on a show for me that one time.”

“Trust me, I knew you were watching. That’s why I teased you. Did you like seeing me like that?”

“Yes. You’re hot, Cal. I meant it when I said you looked good.”

“I’ll admit I like seeing you get all hot and bothered because of me,” Calum responded.

Michael looked into Calum's dark brown eyes before looking down at his plump pink lips that he suddenly wanted to kiss. He saw Calum look at him the same and he hesitantly leaned over and pressed a chaste, experimental kiss on Michael’s lips. Michael loved the feeling of Calum’s lips on his, and grabbed his cheek as they started moving their lips together.

When Calum pulled away, he grinned widely at Michael. Michael noticed that Calum had the type of smile that should always be on his face. He was the type of person you always wanted to see happy, and never sad.

“Shouldn’t this be weird though? I’ve always considered us like brothers, until I saw you through your window like that.”

“Same,” replied Calum. “But relationships and people change. There’s nothing we can do about it, really.” He shrugged. Michael agreed.

“I guess we should go on a proper date sometime, then. Since I’ve asked you out and all, we should make it official.”

“How about my soccer game on Friday? That could be a date. It ends at six, we could go for dinner after.”

“That works,” agreed Michael. “As good as you are at soccer, stripping is always an option.”

Calum laughed. “The only stripper I’d be is your personal stripper.”

“That works too. But being a student on a budget, I’m not sure how much I could pay you.”

They lay together in silence for a minute before Calum said “You still play the guitar, right? And sing?” Michael confirmed this.

“And I still play bass. We should jam sometime, now that we’re hanging out again and all.”

Michael agreed. “But first, let’s try this whole dating thing.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> On tumblr at morelashton. Thank you for reading :)


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